Program participants with the organizers during their visit at the Kathmandu University facade.
The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) and the Government of Nepal through the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training organized an In-Country Program on Capacity Building in Research and Development in TVET at the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) in Kathmandu from October 24-28, 2016. The five-day program involved the participation of 40 trainers, administrators and TVET practitioners from all over Nepal.
The program was organized with the idea that research and development is an investment in a company's or organization’s future. This trajectory is also consistent with the ongoing multi-dimensional transformation of TVET systems in Asia-region which is characterized by the increasing demands in terms of technical skills, technological usage and efficient networking. It is, thus, necessary that TVET should invest its resources in these anticipated changes through continued investment in R&D and the development of workers, administrators and students who are capable of formulating R&D initiatives to further improve their skills and qualifications.
In this context, R&D capability helps TVET institutions in the formulation of policies and development practices to increase job prospects of TVET graduates and growth opportunities. It also helps TVET administrators and teachers in reviewing existing policies and institutional structure and arrangements. It allows TVET institutions to better assimilate knowledge and technology developed elsewhere.
The program aimed at enabling the participants to understand the need for an R&D and comprehend the domains of research and development in the TVET system. The ICP was also designed to build the capacity of the participants in formulating research framework and instruments, writing research report and preparing a research proposal that will be applied to their respective projects or initiatives.
The program was supervised by Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane, Director General of CPSC and Mr. Ramesh Kumar Bakhati, Acting Member Secretary of CTEVT. The program was jointly coordinated by Prof. Dr. G. Kulanthaivel, CPSC Seconded Faculty Consultant and Mr. Tek Bahadur Malla, Director, Technical Division, CTEVT, assisted by Mr. Mohan Bahadur Karki, Senior Technical Officer of CTEVT. The five-day program was inaugurated by Mr. Dhaniram Paudel, the Honorable Minister of Education of Nepal.
Dr. Ram Hari Lamichhane, CPSC Director General delivers his presentation
Prof. Dr. G. Kulanthaivel, CPSC Faculty Consultant and Program Resource Person providing lecture.
Resource Persons who shared their expertise and knowledge on the topic include Prof. Pramod B. Shrestha, Ph.D, former Professor & Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering in Tribhuvan University acted as; Prof. Dr. Mahesh Nath Parajuli, Dean of the School of Education in Kathmandu University and Dr. Prakash Chandra Bhattarai, Assistant Professor of the School of Education in Kathmandu University.
Prof. Prahmod Shrestha, Program Resource Person during his presentation
Aside from the classroom instruction and practical exposure to research technicalities, the program also included a trip to Kathmandu University, one of the premiere universities in the country and a model for R & D instruction.
The participants during the study visit.
In addition, a national seminar was organized to supplement the program’s instruction. Entitled as “TVET Beyond 2015”, the seminar opened areas for the deliberation of policy initiatives, strategies, work plans and practices in the direction of TVET Beyond 2015 in Nepal. The seminar was inaugurated by Dr. Kul Bahadur Basnet, Vice Chairperson, CTEVT on October 27, 2016.
It was anchored on the results and recommendations of the Millennium Development Goals which specifically states the role of skills training in fully capitalizing sustainable development initiatives and strategies. In addition, the seminar also aims to elucidate different strategies and approaches towards sustainable development of TVET systems, identify and examine issues, challenges in integrating concepts of sustainable development in TVET and serve as a platform for experience sharing & concept leveling on TVET beyond 2015. It was attended by 60 participants and guests from CTEVT and other institutions in Nepal and was held in the same venue as the in-country program.
Participants of the National Seminar of “TVET Beyond 2015”
The seminar tackled topics such as APACC accreditation, recognition of prior learning, sustainable development goals and its role in the Nepalese government’s policy framework, public-private partnership and lastly, the integration of ICT in TVET.
Key speakers include: Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane, CPSC Director General; Dr. Kul Bahadur Basnet, CTEVT Nepal Vice Chairperson; Dr. Hari Lamsal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Nepal; Prof. Dr. Pramod B. Shrestha, Former, GB Faculty Consultant, CPSC, Manila & Former Professor & Head of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal and lastly, Prof. Dr. G. Kulanthaivel, CPSC Seconded Faculty Consultant.
